Needs of Universities.

Today , the first need among universities everywhere ( though it has been less talked about and perhaps less thought about in America than in Europe), is learning power, which is native ability plus the will to learn . An able person, intellectually inquiring (любознательный) , reflective and industrious (трудолюбивый) – with learning power can make himself educated, cultivated , and wise in this era of free public libraries, museums, and archives . A great teacher can speed the process. But if learning power is not there, the greatest teaching is only of partial value (ценность). A student cannot be lifted beyond the limits of his /her ability.

A great teacher may, and often does , inspire an individual student who has lacked (недоставало) the will or full opportunity to learn, and so sets his student on the road to education . But if large numbers of students arrive at the university without a solid academic foundation on which to build, the quality of university education must suffer.

Ex.7.Answer the following questions.

1.What is learning power? 2.What qualities are necessary in order to become educated? 3.What modern conditions exist make it possible for a person to become educated and cultured? Can you think of other factors? What is the role of a teacher in this process? Why is the greatest teaching sometimes only of partial value? Do you agree that a student cannot be lifted beyond the limits of his ability? 4.Why is one’s pre-university level of knowledge important? Were you a student of the preparatory department of the university? Did you take preparatory courses in English /Russian history? 5.Do you agree that learning power is the primary need among universities? 6.What is more important for good education-learning power of good teaching? Why?

Ex.8.Group discussion. Read the following selections. The issue discussed is the role of the student in the university. Consider each at the categories presented below and discuss the position of the Kazakhstani students at the institute in view of the recent changes in the Kazakhstani system of higher education:

1. "Is the student's role similar to that of an apprentice — studying the master and gradually becoming a master? Or is the proper relationship one of a ward of the university, which is responsible for the student's welfare and moral and intellectual training? Or is the student a client of the university — where the student seeks out professors to help in areas of interest and need ? "It is probably safe to say that in England, Canada and the United States, until recent years, there has always been a sharp distinction between the role and status of the teacher and the role and status of the student — a simple recognition of the fact that the former by virtue of his knowledge, age and experience should exercise some domination and direction over the latter."

"A person's role in any given situation is defined not only by the individual but by other people and institutions in the environment. Up to 1950 there seemed few differences in the views of students, professors, or the university in respect of the student's role in the university. Quite clearly the student was not a member of the universi­ty if membership is defined as having a shared responsibility for the program, regulations, welfare of the institution. In these respects the student was without status or recognition.”

Learning recommendations:

Class activity: In this unit of the course book students are supposed to get introduced with the new material: read the text, translate into their native language, summarize in English, complete post-reading tasks and grammar exercises, discuss new speech topics, compose monologues and dialogues in the class.

Home task: Students are assigned to find out additional short information about specific topic of the unit, complete grammar exercises, prepare reports given by the teacher.

Literature:

1. Учебно-методический комплекс для студентов 1 курса неязыковых специальностей, М.Ж. Тусупбекова, А.М. Мухтарханова, 2008, Астана, _____стр.